


sincerity is scary

by thearkdelinquents



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M, Feelings Realization, Love Confessions, Realization, Schoolhouse Fire, You Could Have Died, bc I know it'll never happen, but not really, kind of spec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-25 21:16:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21362806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thearkdelinquents/pseuds/thearkdelinquents
Summary: It was then that Marilla noticed Gilbert, whose eyes had never left Anne’s, both of them still barely breathing.“Did you go in after her?” She asked. “Well, thank you Gilbert. That was very kind of you, thank you.”Finally breaking eye contact, Gilbert looked over at the woman and then to the ground. He cleared his throat and started to brush the ash off of his own clothes. “Yes ma’am, of course.”-Schoolhouse catches on fire and Anne runs in! Who is followed by Gilbert!
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 18
Kudos: 404





	sincerity is scary

“Anne!”

Marilla’s voice broke through Anne’s consciousness as she was ripped from her dreams. Anne blinked up at the woman, confused. Marilla was bent over her, shaking her awake, desperation in her voice.

“Anne, get up.” Marilla’s eyes darted away for a beat, worry evident on her face. “The schoolhouse is on fire.”

All grogginess cleared at once. Marilla had to leap back to keep from getting headbutted as Anne jumped out of bed. She was at the bottom of the stairs grabbing her shoes before Marilla was even out of the bedroom.

“Anne, wait!” Anne heard Marilla’s voice call as the door slammed behind her.

Pulling on her boots as she ran, Anne didn’t even slow. It was the middle of the night, dark as sin as Marilla would say. Anne could barely see where she was going and for a moment she admonished herself for not grabbing a lantern. Thankfully, though, she could get to the schoolhouse with her eyes closed and her feet stayed true as they pounded against the dirt and grass. Her breath came in ragged puffs and tears stung her eyes. Anne ran as fast as she could to one of the few places in this world she called home.

All Anne could think about was getting there and saving the schoolhouse. It was a building that symbolized the future, hope, change. She could think of nothing more beautiful than that. As she ran, memories flooded through her mind. The first time she ever walked through the doors, the first time she beat Gilbert in the Spelling Bee, the first time Miss Stacy walked in, the first time they used the printing press… The thought almost jolted Anne to a stop. _The press_. Anne pushed her legs to go faster, knowing she had to save the machine they had fought so hard to keep.

_The universe truly is a cruel temptress_, Anne thought_, that it would burn down the press the night we save her from bondage._

As she came around the corner and into view of the schoolhouse, what little breath Anne had left in her lungs was knocked out. The flames were tall, engulfing most of the front of the building. The crackling of the flames was drowned out by the shouts of her neighbors, men handing buckets of water between each other. They threw gallons of water into the schoolhouse, trying to save it. Thankfully, Anne noticed they had remembered her words and all of the doors were shut tight. But the fire had blown open some of the windows and she could see the fire spreading through the old wooden structure.

Anne looked, trying to see if the press was okay, but the flames were too high for her to see inside properly. The front door wasn’t an option, so she took off towards the back. She ran past the assembly line, almost knocking Gilbert over in her hurry to get inside.

“Anne!” he shouted. “Anne, what are you doing?!”

Anne only ignored his shouts as she flung open the door. She had to save the press.

The heat was unbearable, blowing her back a step. The smoke billowed out and into her lungs. Anne coughed violently, fresh tears leaking through her eyes. But still, she covered her mouth with the sleeve of her nightgown and ducked into the burning building.

From what she could tell outside, most of the flames were contained to the coat room at the front of the schoolhouse. She didn’t see any fire in the back room as she came in, closing the door behind her. All noise ceased, and all Anne could hear was the sound of flames whipping through the air. Floorboards groaned and snapped ahead of her as Anne walked into the schoolroom. She blinked a few times to try and clear the tears in her eyes. But when she looked over into the corner where they kept the press, it was empty. Anne turned, looking around the room for the machine. All she found was more chairs and tables.

And fire. The fire was through the coat room now and getting closer to her position beside the blackboard. Coughs wracked through her body as she continued searching the room for the press. Suddenly, Anne felt someone grab her arm and pull her back.

“What are you doing?” Gilbert shouted as he tried pulling Anne back out of the building. Tears tracked down his soot covered face.

Anne pulled back, trying to break free of his grasp. “I’m trying to save the press!” she shouted back, the fire roaring closer and closer.

“We have to get out of here!” Gilbert tugged on Anne harder, pulling her towards the door.

“Where is the press?!” Anne yelled at him, begging him to help her.

“Anne, it doesn’t matter!” The floor beneath them groaned as the weight buckled the boards. Anne and Gilbert’s heads whipped back as both of their desks caught on fire. “We have to leave! Now!”

“We can’t!” Anne tried to shout, but it was fruitless.

Gilbert finally used all of his strength and wrenched her from the front of the classroom. Anne’s eyes continued to search for the missing machine even as Gilbert wrapped one arm around her waist and carried her out of the room. One of the beams supporting the roof crashed to the floor just as Gilbert threw open the back door and they both fell out of it.

On her hands and knees, Anne coughed so hard she was sure her lungs would actually come out of her body. Her throat felt like she had swallowed glass and her eyes burned liked the sun. Bringing herself to her feet, she stayed bent over, gulping breaths of clean air. Gilbert was beside her, a mirror image. They both coughed for what felt like an eternity.

“What is _wrong_with you?” Gilbert suddenly shouted.

Anne’s head shot up, surprised by the anger in Gilbert’s voice. He stood tall, looking at her with an anger in his eyes that burned brighter than the building behind them.

“Excuse me?!” Anne stood up straight, confused at his outburst.

Gilbert’s eyebrows were drawn together, and his fists were clenched at his sides. “Why would you just run into a burning building like that?”

“I told you, I was trying to save the press!” Anne wouldn’t back down, even as Gilbert’s words started to weaken her resolve.

“The press weighs hundreds of pounds!” Gilbert shouted back.

Anne took a step back, unused to this side of Gilbert. They had had their fair share of spats, yes, but absolutely nothing like the ire he was spitting at her right now. Anne’s silence only spurred him on further.

“Do you have no consideration for the people who care about you?” he stepped towards her.

Anne’s eyes grew wider and fresh tears pricked at the corners.

“What would Marilla and Matthew have done if you had died in there? Did you not think about them when you ran in there? Did you not think about Diana? Did you not think about me?” Gilbert’s face was lit by the fire behind them, making his rage visible. “I am tired of losing all of the people I lo-”

Anne gasped as Gilbert cut himself short. The world had stopped. Anne felt like she was back in the hot air balloon, but this time, someone had ripped the floor of the basket out from under her. All she could feel was falling, all she could hear was her own heartbeat. Her stomach was in her throat and she didn’t dare say a word to break the fragile silence that had fallen between them. She wanted him to finish the sentence. She was terrified of what would happen if he did.

She watched him realize what he had started to say, the anger on his face immediately being replaced by shock. His lips were parted, his eyes wide, mirroring what Anne imagined her own face looked like. They stood in silence, inches apart. Anne’s eyes searched Gilbert’s.

“I-” Gilbert whispered.

But whatever he was going to say was interrupted by Marilla rounding the corner, Matthew hot on her heels.

“Anne Shirley-Cuthbert!”

Anne’s eyes were still locked with Gilbert’s as Marilla grabbed her shoulders.

“Did you go inside?!” Marilla gasped as she took in Anne’s smoke-stained nightgown. “What did we say last time about traipsing into burning buildings!”

“I’m sorry…” Anne whispered as Marilla tried wiping the soot off of her face.

It was then that Marilla noticed Gilbert, whose eyes had never left Anne’s, both of them still barely breathing.

“Did you go in after her?” She asked. “Well, thank you Gilbert. That was very kind of you, thank you.”

Finally breaking eye contact, Gilbert looked over at the woman and then to the ground. He cleared his throat and started to brush the ash off of his own clothes. “Yes ma’am, of course.”

“Come on, let’s get you some water.”

Anne let Marilla and Matthew pull her away even as she turned to continue staring after Gilbert, who was glancing between her and the ground. Anne couldn’t hear anything Marilla was saying to her, Gilbert’s words reverberating in her ears. For once, Anne was at a loss for words as she sat in silence and watched the community quench the fire. Even as the flames of the schoolhouse died out, the fire in Anne’s mind raged on.

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO ITS BEEN SO LONG SINCE I HAVE POSTED
> 
> this is based off of a tweet I saw and I can't find it or the person who tweeted it but. yeah. so thank you twitter person for the idea! I hope you all like this! I would absolutely DIE if this happened next episode but I know it won't. twas fun to write regardless!
> 
> As always, kudos and feedback greatly appreciated! Also if you guys have any prompt ideas/requests let me know!


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